Vehicle-wheel



(No Model.) 7

L. H. DEMPSBY & L. I. FOLK.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

No; 171,960. Patented Mar. 29, 1892.

k d 1 0 I 2% NITE STATES LOUIS H. DEMPSEY AND LA\VRENCE I. FOLK, OF DUBUQUE, IO\VA.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,960, dated March 29, 1892.

Application filed October 9, 1891. Serial No. 408,223. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, LoUIs H. DEMPsEY and LAWRENCE I. FOLK, citizens of the United States, residing at Dubuque, in the county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Wheels; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in vehicle-wheels and hubs therefor; and it has for its object, among others, to provide an improved wheel and hub which shall be strong, light, and durable, and in which the parts of the wheel may be readily assembled. We provide ametallic outer portion for the hub with a thickened annular flange, in which is formed the spoke-sockets, a central tapered inner wooden portion being provided, into which the axle-sk'ein is fitted, and in which are formed sockets for the inner ends of the spokes. The spokes are of novel form, having their socket ends formed with concave wedge portions and without square shoulders, except at the inner end, the wedge end being so proportioned with relation to the socket as to provide for driving home of the spoke without its inner end coming in contact with the skein.

Other objects and advantages of the inven tion will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by the appended claims,

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of our wheel. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the hub. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of one of the spokes removed. Fig. l is a sectional detail transversely of the hub with a spoke in position.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates the metallic outer portion of the hub, which is formed with a thickened annular band or flange a,in which tallic portion having an annular band, with the spoke-sockets a are formed, the said sockets being staggered for dodged or staggered spokes, as seen best in Fig. 1. These sockets are formed with curved walls, as seen at b in Fig. 4, conforming to the concavity of the socket end of the spoke. The bore of this metallic outer portion is tapered, being largest at the inner end, as seen in Fig. 2, and B is the wooden portion, correspondingly tapered and fitted therein, as seen in Fig. 2, being formed at its inner end with an annular enlarged opening 6, for the reception of the enlarged end 0 of the aXle-skein O, as seen in Fig. 2. The taper of the wooden portion allows us to employ an ornamental band D between the outer end of the metallic portion and the sand-band E, said band D being held on by frictional contact of the same with the wooden portion of the hub and the sand-band.

F are the spokes, designed to be set staggeringin the sockets of the hub and formed with suitable provisions at the outer end to engage with the folly G. At their inner end 7 5 they are formed with a peculiar contour. It is a wedge; but the opposite longitudinal sides thereof are concaved, as seen at f, to conform to the convex walls of the spoke-sockets in the metallic outer portion of the hub, and at the lower end of the wedge are the shoulders f forming the projection of extension f.

The wedge end of the spoke is designed to be driven in the sockets of the metallic portion of the hub and the woodcompressed, the extension f entering the parallel-sided openings g in the wooden portion of the hub, the length of the extension being such relative to the depth of the openings in the said Wooden portion' that the shoulders f normally do not touch the outer face or periphery of the wooden portion, as seen in Fig. 4, so as to provide for the taking up of Wear and for swelling of the spoke. The concave walls of the spoke and the convex walls of the sockets give us an extended contact-surface of the parts, which is important.

What We claim as new is-- 1. A wheel-hub consisting of an outer mespoke-sockets and tapered bore, a wooden inner portion tapered exteriorly to fit said bore and having an opening enlarged at its inner end, a metallic skein having enlarged inner end fitting said opening, a sand-band, and a band between the sand-band and the outer end of the outer metallicport-ion and tapered interiorly to fit the taper of the wooden portion, substantially as specified.

2. A wheel consisting of a metallic outer hub portion with spoke-sockets with convex walls, an inner wooden portion with coincident parallel-sided openings, an interior skein, and spokes having their inner ends formed with wedges whose opposite sides are concave and fitted in said sockets, and formed 

